These HS teams were tops in the Top 20 polls
Bishop Feehan gets edge in girls’ hoop
there’s no wrong answer in the debate between Bishop Feehan and Foxborough as the best girls’ basketball team in Eastern Massachusetts. But in winning the Division 1 championship, the Shamrocks did something no other team did this season: beat Central Mass. giant Wachusett.
that achievement, on the biggest stage, puts Feehan first in the Globe’s final top 20 rankings. Foxborough, which led the rankings all winter, is a hair behind in second, and deserves praise for its dominant season and Division 3 title.
though third-ranked Bishop Fenwick was ineligible for the state tournament, the Crusaders only lost to Bishop Feehan and Wachusett, and they racked up high-quality wins throughout the regular season.
State champions Medfield and Cathedral round out the top five. Norwell jumps to ninth following its impressive run to the Division 3 final. Oliver Ames slides into the top 10 after outlasting Whitman-Hanson in a D2 quarterfinal thriller. Bridgewater-Raynham upset Wellesley in the second round as a No. 12 seed to make a late return.
Several other schools had strong cases for a top 20 spot and deserve recognition. Dartmouth barely misses out, along with Medway, Billerica, Quincy, Needham, Norwood, Sandwich, and Wakefield.
Boys’ basketball
Franklin holds onto to the top spot in the final top 20 after finishing undefeated against EMass competition with a close loss to two-time D1 champion Worcester North in the state final.
No. 2 Charlestown closed the regular season on fire and rolled to a Division 3 title, while No. 4 Wareham went back-to-back in Division 4 with close wins over Millbury and regional rival Bourne in the final four. Catholic Memorial is third.
Xaverian (No. 5) pulled off a terrific run, earning the school’s first semifinal trip since 1990 and pushing Worcester North to overtime.
Malden Catholic (No. 6) overcame a slow start this season with a third straight Division 3 title, and New Mission (No. 14) climbed back to the mountaintop with a Division 5 crown.
Boys’ hockey
St. John’s Prep, atop the Globe’s rankings since Jan. 11, capped a stellar campaign with a Division 1 title.
The Eagles overpowered every opponent with a blend of speed, skill, and size, allowing them to dictate the play. Secondranked Winchester, the No. 11 seed in the Division 1 bracket, showed its mettle by downing Middlesex League champion Arlington and Catholic Memorial en route to the state final.
Arlington Catholic (No. 6) rode the hot hand of goaltender Patrick Clair to upsets over Pope Francis and Marshfield, respectively. No. 13 Boston Latin overcame league foe tewksbury for the Division 2 championship. the Wolfpack downed Duxbury in the semifinals, another program that played their best in the tournament. No. 19 Marblehead, which started the season 0-6, excelled down the stretch with a defensive style that culminated in a Division 3 title.
Girls’ hockey
After a thorough 4-0 win over No. 4 Falmouth to repeat as the Division 2 state champion, Duxbury claims the No. 1 spot in the final poll. the Dragons are now 6-0 all-time in championship games.
No. 2 St. Mary’s and No. 3 Notre Dame (Hingham) showed their quality in a triple-overtime thriller in the Division 1 championship game, with the Spartans claiming their first title since 2013. With strong postseason runs of their own, No. 5 Malden Catholic and No. 7 Hingham keep a grasp on top 10 spots they held for the majority of the year.
Tournament darlings Archbishop Williams and Marshfield — which both made a run to the semifinals as an 11-seed — each slot into the top 10. No. 11 Shrewsbury and No. 12 Canton each make jumps after tight quarterfinal losses to St. Mary’s and Falmouth, respectively.